CONTEXT/BACKGROUND Substantial research shows Outdoor Learning (OL) to be highly successful and sustainable in nurturing transversal skills crucial for employability, active citizenship, and personal wellbeing. Nevertheless, hardly any country embeds OL systematically in formal or non-formal education. The NEF+ consortium partners have been working together since 2018 using an OL model to promote transversal skills in young people. To mitigate impact of Covid-19, digital learning solutions have been devised which produce unexpected added value from the combination of OL and digital learning. OBJECTIVES NEF+ will augment these insights and good practice within the Consortium and among VET practitioners and experts on regional and EU level. The project creates professional development opportunities on OL for VET, e.g. through a digital open access repository with self-led learning materials and best practice guidelines on OL for VET in non-formal education and workplace settings - with a special focus on ways to digitally enhance OL. To achieve sustainable impact, the existing New Education Forum (NEF) network will be expanded and digitalised to enable professional development, knowledge exchange and lobbying of (digitally augmented) OL for VET beyond the funding period. PARTICIPANTS NEF+ serves three beneficiary groups: 1) VET educators - in and outwith the Consortium members' institutions - active or interested in OL for VET (min. 300 educators engaged in NEF+ online and live knowledge exchange activities). 2) Experts (professional associations, OL training institutions, good practice providers) contribute to the state-of-the-art knowledge base and the network (min. 60 new members, i.e. 20% increase of current network). 3) Decision-makers on regional and EU level carry forward OL for VET sustainably on a wide scope (support of min. 2 EU institutions, 180 attendees at live/online multiplier events). ACTIVITIES & METHODOLOGY To achieve the objectives, the NEF+ Consortium: • Moves the existing NEF network online and expands it through digital engagement tools for professional development, knowledge exchange and networking. • Provides an open access digital repository for information on OL for VET, incl a summary of existing research on OL for VET and ways of digital enhancement of OL and VET. • Showcases OL for VET Good Practitioners who achieve significant impact on employability and citizenship. • Obtains sustainable commitment of regional and EU policy- and decision-makers for NEF+ and OL for VET beyond the funding period. • Conducts live/online events in Brussels connecting all target groups in networking, knowledge exchange, and lobbying. The project combines digital engagement and live knowledge exchange and networking tools. The state-of-the-art is elicited through a traditional, interdisciplinary literature review, a scoping exercise for good practice, and expert discussion in the online network. EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT The main results of NEF+ are: • A digitally enhanced network for (NEF+ Consortium and other) educators and other stakeholders interested in OL for VET, sharing and expanding the state-of-the-art in (digitally augmented) OL for VET • An open access online repository with OL for VET-related resources • A summary of existing research and list of indicators to self-evaluate and identify ‘Good Practices in OL for VET’ • Information on and insights gained from at least 10 Good Practitioners in OL for VET • 3 regional plus 2 international multiplier events (over 300 participants total) • Guidelines for implementation of OL for VET The impact envisaged of NEF+ is that at least 10 regions in Europe (start to) implement OL for VET in Europe, and at least 300 educators have started or expanded their practical use of OL for VET in their work practice. In addition, the networking opportunities are expected to spark inter-sectional collaborations on OL for VET and beyond. LONGER TERM BENEFITS The NEF+ online network will continue to provide professional development on OL for VET for educators in the Consortium member institutions and beyond. Inter-sectorial knowledge exchange and collaboration between different stakeholders and professionals will improve the educational landscape and state-of-the-art in using OL for VET in Europe. Furthermore, interregional and transnational cooperation between public authorities in education (especially VET), training and youth will be established and strengthened. This will help to raise the ratio of youth in employment, education and training, especially during and beyond the pandemic. Widening and refining the use of OL for VET and ways to digitally enhance it will also bring about the other benefits known of OL – for health and wellbeing, environmental protection and social equity – thus making active and effective contributions towards no less than three UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Through the innovative combination of OL and digital education in the NEF+ project, the partnership aimed to create a space for knowledge exchange, international experiences, best practices, expert knowledge, training, workshops, conferences, and building and expanding networks. Additionally, within the project, our goal was to establish the NEF community, which supports, develops, and optimizes pedagogy, especially in terms of empowering learners in the post-Covid EU, while also considering ways to digitally enhance the effects of OL. Ultimately, by implementing all the initially planned activities, the partnership aimed to increase awareness and practical skills in implementing OL for VET in various groups and stages of non-formal education. It can confidently be stated that all planned actions in the NEF+ project were carried out with due diligence and maintained a high level of quality in the provided publications and reports.
The NEF+ consortium partners previously collaborated from 2018-2021 on the FOLM project "From Outdoors to Labour Market" which used the Outdoor Learning (OL) approach to promote employability skills among 990 young people from Spain, Ireland and Poland. The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant constraints on the practical implementation of the FOLM project, so the partnership sought digital solutions in education. A lack of available materials on the OL method in the context of Vocational Education and Training (VET) was identified. There was a lack of knowledge of teachers, youth workers and educational leaders, as well as a space for experience sharing and training. As a result, a digital repository was created with information, self-study materials and examples of good practices related to the OL method for VET. The OL method was disseminated to educators, policy makers and decision makers. The project responded to the need for VET development. Faced with the constraints caused by the pandemic, there was a need for an online network to connect OL experts and practitioners. Through the publication of the guide, awareness of practical skills in implementing the OL method was raised.